"It's all fate!" Ma Zhou said with a smile.
"These two brothers are really strong!" Yuchi Baolin said softly.
“Now that everyone knows each other, things are easier. And this kid, Huai Dao, you probably don’t know him yet, right?” Cheng Huaimo pulled out another person from the side and said.
This was also a young man, very tall, a head taller than Cheng Huaimo. At first, Qin Mu thought he was a newly joined constable and stood silently at the back.
When Cheng Huaimo pulled him out, he gave a simple and honest smile, with a hint of shyness, clearly a timid young man.
"This kid's name is Fang Yi'ai. He's only fourteen years old and a troublemaker. Huai Dao, you should take good care of him in the future," Cheng Huaimo said, patting the boy on the shoulder.
“Fang Yi’ai!” Qin Mu raised an eyebrow and glanced at the boy.
“That’s right, he’s the second son of the Duke of Liang. This kid doesn’t study literature or cultivate himself, but prefers to practice martial arts. His father simply lets him do whatever he wants,” Cheng Huaimo introduced.
Qin Mu certainly didn't make the connection based on the surname; after all, this was a celebrity from another world, albeit one with a less-than-stellar reputation. The man before him, Fang Yi'ai, was tall, strong, and had regular features. If he worked out and developed abs, he'd probably be very popular with young girls.
Judging from his physique, he was indeed a potential martial arts practitioner, but Qin Mu did not want to take him in. He was different from Cheng Huaimo and the others. The Cheng family and the Yuchi family were military families, while the Fang family were Confucian scholars.
"this…"
"Huai Dao! Take this kid in. His father will help him out, though he's afraid of the danger and won't let him participate in major operations. The main problem is that this kid only respects those stronger than him, and he'll get into trouble sooner or later if he's out there. If you can teach him properly, that would be a huge favor." Seeing that Qin Mu didn't want to take him in, Cheng Huai Mo pulled him aside and whispered his advice.
"Okay! I'll do as you say." Qin Mu nodded in agreement.
The Six Doors had been recruiting for some time, and many people had applied, but there were no truly skilled individuals. The only additions were over two hundred bronze-level constables, with Huang Sanjian and Zhang Yi joining to fill the gap.
Qin Mu then noticed that Huang Sanjian was not only carrying a horizontal sword at his waist, but also a long box on his back; Zhang Yi was still carrying his three-pointed double-edged sword.
After asking around, Qin Mu learned that when he was refining pills yesterday, Huang Sanjian and Zhang Yi came to volunteer. They defeated twenty constables with their two swords. When Yuchi Baolin went up, he only managed to fight Huang Sanjian to a draw, while Zhang Yi was defeated by Cheng Huaimo.
"Were all these constables trained by Brother Qin?" Zhang Yi asked curiously, looking at the constables in the Six Doors courtyard.
With a "smack!", Huang Sanjian slapped Zhang Yi on the back and scolded, "You son of a bitch, from now on you should call me the patrol officer!"
"oh!"
"Speaking of which, apart from those who came in later, the original constables were all trained by Huai Dao himself," Cheng Huaimo explained.
"I didn't expect that the police chief, despite his young age, would be able to train soldiers," Huang Sanjian said, his eyes lighting up.
Qin Mu was training the two hundred constables he had selected to set up the Five Elements Formation. The Five Elements Pills he had refined were perfect for them.
A surge of bloodthirsty energy rose up. The constable who had taken the pill felt his blood boiling and his body throbbing with pain. Following the technique Qin Mu had instructed him on, he circulated the bloodthirsty energy within his body.
The blood-fiend energy can be transformed into the five elements of fiend energy in two ways: firstly, by using the power of elixirs, and secondly, by using the internal organs as a foundation. Just as a cultivator has a dantian (energy center), the internal organs can also serve as a storage point for blood-fiend energy.
"How...how could this be!" Huang Sanjian exclaimed, pointing into the distance, speechless.
The two hundred soldiers exuded an increasingly intense aura of bloodlust, forming a single, powerful force. Huang Sanjian, standing two hundred meters away, felt the pressure he was facing growing heavier, as if a top-tier expert was watching him intently from ahead.
"Don't be surprised!" Cheng Huaimo said with a smile, patting his shoulder.
Huang Sanjian glanced back at Cheng Huaimo, as if this kind of thing was commonplace.
“Let’s go! Let’s take care of business first. There will be other things to do later,” Cheng Huaimo said.
"Oh! Are there any cases today?" Zhang Yi asked, his curiosity tinged with excitement.
“Yes! There’s a brothel that forces women into prostitution,” Cheng Huaimo replied.
"Outrageous! How could such a thing happen right under the emperor's nose!" Zhang Yi roared angrily.
“There are audacious individuals like this everywhere! Our duty is to apprehend these guys.”
"Yes! We absolutely cannot let them go." Zhang Yi nodded vigorously.
The group selected a squad of constables and rushed out of the Six Doors. Upon seeing the large contingent of Six Doors constables, the common people were not afraid, and many of the bolder ones even followed them.
Nowadays, many people in Chang'an are saying that when the Six Doors are mobilized, evil people are bound to suffer.
Qin Mu ignored Cheng Huaimo and the others' actions. For several days, he stayed by the alchemy furnace. He rested when he was tired, and resumed alchemy when his mental energy recovered.
………
With a loud "bang!", a small table was lifted into the air, spun a few times, and then fell to the ground with a "crack".
"Outrageous! This brat from the Qin family is going too far!" Wang Gui roared angrily.
“Father! We can’t let this go! In just these ten days, the Six Doors not only shut down brothels and raided gambling dens, but they also have people coming to check other shops every day.” Wang Quan said just as viciously.
"That's right! They actually said our fabric shop was closed because of incomplete fire prevention facilities! What are fire prevention facilities anyway?!"
"Hmph! They're just making a fuss over nothing. How could the Six Doors possibly care about such trivial matters? They're clearly targeting our family."
The three Wang brothers each spoke a sentence, their words filled with anger.
"Let's call this a day. Tell the people below to calm down. They should do whatever they tell them to do," Wang Gui said coldly, raising his arm.
"Are we just going to let them go like that?" Wang Quan asked in surprise.
"Otherwise, what do you want to do?" Wang Gui asked irritably.
“This is the Qin family abusing their power for personal gain. Why don’t you, Father, report this to the authorities and have Qin Shubao removed from his position as Chief Constable?” Wang Quan suggested.
"Hmph! Impeach me? You want to expose the gambling dens and brothels? So what if Qin Shubao loses his position as chief constable? Do you think you can get away with it? Or do you think your father can get away with it?" Wang Gui asked coldly.
"That would also make the Qin family restrain themselves a bit. If things continue like this, their business in Chang'an will be ruined," Wang Gui murmured.
"Useless! Why should the Qin family restrain themselves? Does Qin Shubao care about the position of Chief Constable? Does His Majesty really think that Cheng Huaimo, Yuchi Baolin, and Qin Huaidao, the three eldest sons of Dukes, would be dismissed from their posts over such a trivial matter? And Li Chongyi from the Prince's Mansion as well! Do you think that's possible?" Wang Gui spat and berated his son relentlessly. He had originally thought his sons were quite good, but now it seemed they were truly disappointing.
Seeing his elder brother being scolded, Wang Jun's eyes flashed with schadenfreude. He then cupped his hands and asked, "Father! Even if we back down, the Qin family may still press us harder. We must find a solution for the long term."
“You’re right. I don’t understand either. Why did the Six Doors suddenly target our businesses this time?” Wang Gui said with a sigh.
"Father, didn't you say that the Qin family was trying to harm us because of the marriage proposal?" Wang Jun asked in surprise.
“That was what I originally thought too, but Qin Shubao is not the kind of person who is petty and jealous, and he wouldn’t use such methods,” Wang Gui said, shaking his head slightly.
"Father, are you worried?" Wang Jun's expression changed, and he pointed to the sky, asking cautiously.
“It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem like it. If it were that person targeting our aristocratic families, it wouldn’t be so easy.” Wang Gui nodded, then shook his head.
"Could it really be that the Six Doors are causing trouble in Chang'an again?" Wang Quan said, somewhat annoyed.
"It's very possible. The Six Doors made two major moves that swept through nearly a hundred businesses in Chang'an, affecting tens of thousands of people. This time, they might be using this as an excuse to implicate even more people," Wang Gui said thoughtfully, nodding slightly.
"Father, do you mean we're just a cover for their own purposes, and they're targeting us on purpose?" Wang Jun asked in astonishment.
"Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass!" Wang Quan's eyes lit up, as if he had seen through everything.
“So I want you all to be more discreet and not be the ones to stick your neck out, otherwise the Qin family will take this opportunity to drag our family down with them.” Wang Gui smiled with satisfaction and nodded slightly.
"Your son understands." Wang Quan bowed respectfully, and when he raised his head, he gave Wang Jun a provocative look.
Wang Jun's eyes darted around, and he cupped his hands and said, "Father, why not simply transfer more manpower to Chang'an, and take the opportunity to secure more business after the Six Doors operation?"
“Those businesses are minor matters. The most important thing right now is the reconstruction of the market town,” Wang Gui said, shaking his head slightly.
"Why, Father? Those businesses are quite profitable. It would be a shame to give them up. We don't even know how much the market is doing!" Wang Jun asked excitedly.
"Sigh! Sit down!" Wang Gui sighed, glancing at his three sons as he called out.
The four of them, father and sons, sat down again, and Wang Gui explained, "You really can't make much money in the market, and I only recently realized that."
"Ah! Why is that? Business on Qin Family Commercial Street is booming!" Wang Jun asked in surprise.
"Do you think His Majesty would give so many aristocratic families the opportunity to make a fortune? How could that be? The reason why the Buzhengfang Commercial Street can make money is not only because they are unique, but also because they are the first."
"We're going to open two more markets, four... no, plus the one Qin family is building, that makes five commercial streets. Building five new commercial streets will dilute the customer base. Once the novelty wears off, how can we expect to make as much money?" Wang Gui analyzed.
“Our family has invested so much, but we haven’t had much income. This…this…” Wang Quan was equally shocked and somewhat at a loss.
"Don't worry, although we won't make much money, we can find ways to gain more reputation. You should go there more often recently, appease the people there, and make proper arrangements so that no one will complain," Wang Gui said, waving his hand.
"It is Father!" the three Wang brothers said in unison, bowing with their hands clasped.
“As for not letting you get involved in the vacant businesses, it’s because the power dynamics in Chang’an are too complex. There are many people eyeing those lucrative opportunities, and even the imperial court is keeping a close eye on them,” Wang Gui instructed his son.
"Father, do you mean that the court will eliminate some personnel and use these vacant positions as bait to see who will step forward?" Wang Quan frowned, thought for a moment, and asked.
“That’s right, the first one to make a move will definitely become the target of everyone’s criticism.” Wang Gui nodded in satisfaction.
The three brothers looked at their father with admiration, which made Wang Gui's anger dissipate, and he was not so heartbroken about the loss to his family.
…………
"The Six Doors have been causing trouble again these past few days. Tell your men to behave themselves," a man wearing a ferocious mask instructed in an underground hall.
"Your subordinate obeys!" came a reply from the shadows.
…………
"Have someone stir up some trouble and lead the Six Doors people to other places." In an attic, a person wearing a bamboo hat was speaking.
"Does Your Majesty wish to make the fire bigger?" asked a middle-aged man in a blue robe who was sitting down.
“That’s right! These guys are terrified of Chang’an, yet they want to make money but don’t want to offend Li Shimin. If they don’t feel the pinch, why would they bring in experts from outside?” The man’s hat twitched slightly, and it was clear he was nodding in agreement.
"Your subordinate understands. Your Majesty is right. Those guys are all old foxes. They won't go against the court unless they're desperate and feel threatened," the middle-aged man in the blue robe said with a smile.
The man in the straw hat said with a hint of disdain, "They're just a bunch of cowards. Calling them old foxes is giving them too much credit."
"Your description is truly apt. These guys disappear at the slightest sign of trouble. All these years of managing Chang'an, they've only ever sent some incompetent underlings to show up."
"That's not surprising. The current ruler is far superior to those of the previous dynasty. Guanzhong is heavily fortified, with countless fierce generals and experts," the man in the straw hat said, waving his hand.
"The previous dynasty also knew that the world was unstable, so he secretly made arrangements, traveling all over the country. It seemed like he was traveling, but in fact he was setting up strongholds. However, he underestimated the people of the world."
"Hmm! So this time, let's find a way to get those guys to attack the defenses of Guanzhong."
"That might be difficult. There are too many experts stationed in Guanzhong. If those people come, they will only act secretly and won't get burned," the middle-aged man in the blue robe said, shaking his head slightly.
"What about those in the mountains? After suffering such a huge loss last time, are they just going to disappear without a trace? Give those poor wretches something, and let them stir things up again," the man in the straw hat said after a moment of silence.
"Those guys are cowards; they're probably just bluffing."
"It's alright, as long as they show up." The man in the straw hat waved his hand, paused slightly, and then said, "Tell them that if they are willing to go all out, I will give them a route to leave Guanzhong and head to the Northwest. Once they get there, they should be able to find a way out of the pass."
"Does the Lord intend to let them go?"
“If we don’t do it this way, they won’t go all out. Besides, even if they leave, how many can they take? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to abandon those unwanted subordinates?”
"Understood!"
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